A new iteration of SpaceX’s Starship rocket appears to have been destroyed during its inaugural flight launch of 2025, which took off from south Texas on Thursday afternoon.

According to SpaceX’s post on X, “Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to analyze data from today’s flight test to understand the underlying cause.” They emphasized that every test is a learning opportunity, and the data from this flight will enhance Starship’s reliability.

At 4:49 p.m. CT, SpaceX’s senior manager, Kate Tice, reported during a livestream that the team lost contact with the uncrewed spacecraft and later stated that the rocket was likely lost.

Officials indicated that a few engines disengaged during the ascent but were unable to clarify the exact reason for the incident. This launch marked the seventh overall flight test of the 400-foot-tall Starship from SpaceX’s Starbase located in Boca Chica, near Brownsville, Texas.

‘It’s about to crash down on us’

Multiple videos circulating on social media depict what appears to be debris from the rocket disintegrating, resembling a spectacular meteor shower.

One video captured the astonished reactions of onlookers witnessing this extraordinary event; however, the filming location is unknown.

“That’s the most amazing (expletive) I’ve ever witnessed,” exclaimed one of the spectators as the rocket broke apart.

“It’s about to crash down on top of us,” another bystander worriedly commented.

Details on the rocket launch

Despite the loss of the rocket, it successfully executed the rocket booster return and caught it at the launch pad for the second time using its giant robotic arms commonly referred to as “chopsticks.”

This maneuver had only been accomplished once previously, during an October 13 demonstration, and was called off during a launch on November 19.

On December 17, SpaceX received permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to launch following the sixth flight test conducted on November 19, which was successful in Boca Chica and witnessed by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump, shortly after Trump’s victory in the 2024 elections.

The liftoff was originally set for 4 p.m. local time but was delayed slightly to 4:37 p.m. The launch had initially been planned for Monday afternoon, but SpaceX postponed it to Wednesday and ultimately rescheduled it for Thursday due to bad weather.

What is the purpose of the Starship?

Musk aims for the SpaceX vehicle, composed of the 165-foot Starship spacecraft and the 232-foot Super Heavy rocket, to be a fully reusable system capable of transporting humans and cargo to Earth’s orbit, the moon, and Mars, and back.

The Starship is expected to play a crucial role in NASA’s aspirations for lunar exploration as part of an intense global race to return to the moon. As part of NASA’s ambitious Artemis project, its first lunar campaign since the Apollo era of the 1970s, the agency is investing $4 million with SpaceX to create a spacecraft capable of safely ferrying astronauts from orbit to the lunar surface.

Musk also envisions the Starship as the vehicle that will eventually facilitate the colonization of Mars, having previously stated that the first trip to Mars is expected to occur in late 2026, when Earth and Mars align, followed by crewed missions by 2028.